Futures 2014 Melbourne Cup Betting Favours Mount Athos

Luca Cumani’s champion European stayer Mount Athos is sitting top of the pre-nomination odds for the Melbourne Cup 2014.

2013 Melbourne Cup third placegetter Mount Athos is best fancied to return with a win next spring. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

If the English-trained son of Montjeu makes it back down under next Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival it will be their third straight appearance at the classic festival.

In 2012 they travelled down under and ran a good first-up fifth in their Australian debut behind the Lloyd Williams-owned Green Moon in the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m).

They returned as a seven-year-old this season and improved on that run, this time finishing only two and a half lengths away third to the Gai Waterhouse-trained Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente as a $12 shot.

It was a cracking effort from the gelding who was ridden by Craig Williams from barrier 22 of 24, and one that has the bookies taking zero chances on them returning to finally take out the ‘race that stops a nation’ next November.

Mount Athos will be an eight-year-old by then, an age group that has a poor record in the Melbourne Cup.

They still sit top of the current futures markets however at $17 to win the world’s richest handicap.

Second fancy is then the reigning Melbourne Cup champ Fiorente paying $19 to go back-to-back and become the race’s sixth dual winner.

The next best fancied in early Melbourne Cup 2014 betting then include:

Polanski ($21) – Robbie Laing’s Victoria Derby winning Rakti colt won three on the trot as a 3YO this spring carnival

Dandino ($23) – ATB-owned import won the USA St Leger in August before coming here for a Caulfield Cup second on debut, Williams in the saddle, and then a good Melbourne Cup fifth with Ryan Moore riding

Sea Moon ($23) – Herbert Power winner this year for owner Lloyd Williams, was a top fancy for the Melbourne Cup but only managed 13th, finding their feet here now though and tipped for improvement in 12 months’ time despite their age

Peter Snowden’s Spring Champion Stakes winner Complacent, Irish raider Simenon who was fourth in the Melbourne Cup this November and the now Michael Moroney-trained Irish St Leger winning mare Voleuse De Coeurs then follow on $26.

The two other hopes under $30 are then the French-trained duo of Penglai Pavilion and Very Nice Name at $28.

See below for the top 20 Melbourne Cup fancies for next year’s race and be the first to back the next winner of the famous Flemington feature.

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